Brake mechanism for cars.



E- RAMSAY.

BRAKE MECHANISM FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. I916.

Patented Dec. 11,1917

a Hamlet prrnn rear re.

ERSKINE nAMsAsnor' BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

BRAKE MECHANISM FOR CARS."

Specification of Letters Patent.

Continuation of application Serial No. 115,750, filed August 19, 1916. This application filed. October 21,

. 1916. Serial No. 126,978.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that I, EnsnmnRAMsAY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake Mechanism for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brakes for mine cars and like vehicles. 1 y

The object of myfinvention is toobt ain with the simplest possible construction a perfect equalization of thepressure as applied through a hand lever to the several brakes on a car.

A further object of my invention is to utilize a floating hand lever acting through floating links to apply the several brake mechanisms and, by cooperation with stops, to positively and substantially simultaneously eifecttheir release regardless of any relative differences that may exist in respect of their friction or inertia.

My present invention is a continuation of an application filed by me on the 19th day of August, 1916, Serial No. 115,750.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,

and in which Figural is a side elevation of a mine car equipped with my brake appliances.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the floating links.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the brake block and its operating connections.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

While it should be understood that my invention is capable of various applications, I have shown it applied to a mine car 1 of standard construction having wheels 2 and double brake blocks 3, one of which is mounted on each side of the car and movable to release or engage the-adjacent pair of wheels. These brake blocks are controlled by rocker shafts 4 disposed on each side of the car and journaled in bearing brackets 5. Each shaft has at one end a crank 6 projecting beyond the end wall 7 of the car.

Each shaft 4 is bent at its other end to form a crank 8, the outer end 9 ofwhich is bent Patented Dec. 11, 191W.

down at right angles and connected bytwo bolts orrivets 10 to the outer side face of a brake block 8. Thecranks 6 and 8 are disposed close to and on oppositesides of the bearings 5 which thus serve to hold the shafts against lengthwise play. The cranks 8 serve to raise or lower the blocks as the shafts are rocked, the blocks moving in an are which; carries them both outwardly from the wheel flange 11 and upwardly from the wheel tread, thus making it certain that the wheels are fully cleared by the brake blocks when in their open or released position. i

The crank 6 for one shaft is connected by a link 12 to the lower end of a floating hand lever 13, while the other crank 6 is con-. nected by a link 14, similar to 12, to the lever at a point substantially spaced from the point of connection thereto of the link 12. The lever 13'at its upper end is bent over and outwardly to form a handle loop 15 having a flattened base portion 16 adapted to rest upon the keeper 17. The end of the base portion of the handle is bent down at 18 and passes between the keeper and the end wall 7 of the car and at its lower end 19 is out-turned to engage the under face of the keeper so that with the handle portion 16 it forms a U-shaped guide which serves to prevent the hand lever 13 moving upwardly or downwardly out of operating position. The keeper has teeth 20 whichare inturned and adapted to interlock with a detent '21 on the portion 18 of the hand lever. The keeper is curved, being struck from a center coincident with the theoretical fulcrum point of the lever 13 which is approxi mately midway between the point of con nection thereto of the links 12 and 14. The cranks 8, when. raised, will engage the over-. hanging side walls 22 of the car which form stops that will arrest the upward movement of the brake blocks when they have been raised sufficiently to fully clear the wheels. The ends of the links 12 and 14 which connect to the hand lever and cranks 6 are bent back about the lever and crank, see Fig. 4, and provided with a series of adjustment holes 23, which holes and a series of adjustment holes 24 in the hand lever provide a wide range of adjustments in the brake applying mechanism to compensate for brake block wear, different sized new or old brake blocks, and non-alinement or disarrangement of parts. The links are connected to the lever 13 and to cranks 6 by rivets having their heads disposed next to the car and their outer ends perforated to receive cotter keys.- By this arrangement should thekeys work out, the end of the car would prevent the headed ends of the rivets moving inwardly enough to disconnect the parts.

It will be observed that the hand lever 13 is a fioating lever, being free of any fixed or'pivotal connection to the car and that the same is true of the links 12 and 1-1. It will also be noted that the hand lever is preferably supported by the engagement of its handle 15 on the keeper 1?, such engagement permitting the lever to be shifted along the keeper as well as toward and from the keeper to effect the engagement and disengagement of the detent 21 with the keeper teeth 20.

In operation, to 'apply the brakes, the

i hand lever 18 is grasped and moved toward the car to release its detent 21 from the keeper, whereupon it is forced bodily to the right, Fig. 2, toward its dotted line position,

' V and as it moves its lower end serves to apply pressure to move the links 12 and 14: in reverse directions and through them to cranks 6, thereby rocking their respective shafts L and causing the links 8 to swing downwardly and inwardly to apply the several brake blocks. Whichever brake block first seats against the wheels brings its crank 6 to rest and thus converts its respective link 12 or 14 into a swinging fulcrum about which the hand lever, as its movement continues, will rock and continue to movethe other brake block until it also seats. As the floating hand lever thus serves as the equalizing element, acting directly between the movable brake applying mechanisms, it will be obvious an equal pressure must result'on both brake blocks. The floating hand lever itself.

and its link connections to the brake rigging, having no fixed pivot bearings or. supports, except for shafts 4: and the keeper 17,

rocked to lift the brake blocks,

are entirely free to effect a perfectly equalized application of the brakes with an absolute minimum in the number of operating parts,'and without regard to any unequal Wear that may have taken place in the brake blocks or other parts.

.To release the brakes, the hand lever is freed from the keeper teeth and moves or is drawn to the left, Fig. 2, whereupon, through the links 12 and 14, the shafts 4 are Should either shaft 4: respond to the release movement in advance of the other, its crank 8 acting as a stop by engaging the car wall 22, will bring it to rest and convert its link 12 or 14: into a swinging fulcrum about which the lever moves to force the release of the other brake block. The lever should move far enough beyond the center of the leased by a continuous movement of the hand lever, their movements are for all practical purposes simultaneous.

Obviously, my invention is applicable to the operation of any desired type of brake mechanism, that shown being illustrative merely of the principles of construction underlying my present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A floating hand lever for applying brakes, floating links connected at difi'erent points to the lever, cranks connected to the links, and brake blocks connected to and adapted to be applied by the cranks, substantially as described.

2. In a brake mechanism for mine cars, the combination with the wheels on opposite sides of the car, of brake blocks movable toward and from the wheels, crank shafts mounted on opposite sides of the car, operating connections from the shafts to the brake blocks for applying and releasing the latter, a floating hand lever, floating links connected at spaced points to the lever and each adapted to rock one of said crank shafts, and a keeper for the lever, substantially as described.

3. In a brake mechanism for mine cars and the like, a plurality of brake mechanisms, stops for limiting the brake releasing movements of said mechanisms, and equalizing means for actuating said mechanisms to apply the brakes comprising a floating hand lever, floating link connections leading from different points on the lever to said mechanisms, and means to hold the lever in set positions.

-l-. In a brake mechanism for mine cars,

. the combination with the wheels on opposite sides of the car, of brake blocks movable toward and from the wheels, crank shafts mounted on opposite sides of the car, operating connections from the shafts to the brake blocks for applying and releasing the latter, stops to limit the releasing movement of said shafts, a floating hand lever, floating links connected at spaced points to the lever floating hand lever having an offset, a keeper on which said offset rests and thereby slidably supports the lever, said lever and keeper having co-acting elements adapted to hold the lever in set position, links connected at different points to the lower end of the lever and extended in opposite directions therefrom, and a brake appliance operably connected to and adapted to be applied by each of said links, substantially as described.

7. In a brake mechanism for mine cars, a floating hand lever, floating links connected at diflterent points to the lever, brakes, mechanisms movable by said links to apply or releasethe brakes, a keeper for the lever, and means to prevent substantial lengthwise displacement of said floating lever, substantially as described.

8. In a brake rigging for mine cars, a floating hand lever having at its upper end, a handle and a substantially U-shaped guide, a keeper adapted to be received in said guide and by engagement therewith to hold the lever against vertical displacement, means to hold the lever in set positions, and brake mecha nisms operably connected to said hand levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ERSKINE RAMSAY.

lVitness N oMm IVIQLsI-L Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

